A few days ago, I was speaking with one of my valued clients about the many benefits of getting out of the office and creating connections and relationships through networking. At one point, there was a momentary silence on the other end of the line and then she asked me if I could give her more “structure” on the best way to network effectively. This question made me stop and think: I tell my clients to do this ALL the time and yet, I rarely stop and explain WHAT to DO or HOW to do it:

Here are 6 “go to” tips and solutions that work for me every time and I think you will find them useful:

Shhhh! – Let the other person talk first. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason! Listen for clues on HOW you can serve them or discover if your business might be a good fit for the other person. Maybe there’s a possible

If increasing your number of clients or customers is a pivotal goal for you this year, (I hope so!) I have good news for you. It’s within your reach if you follow the three R’s for rapid client attraction.

1. Relationships – Relationships are the new black in business now. “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” (Eleanor Roosevelt). There’s a real need, a craving, for deeper relationships in business today. People are desirous of more trust. Whether you’re networking, blogging or updating your Facebook status, seek first to create or deepen your relationships. People want to work with or refer to those where a deeper bond or connection is present. Take some time to consider where you have the “golden ticket” when it comes to creating relationships and make that a daily part of your marketing.

Here are my top nine timely tips for women entrepreneurs who are ready to catapult their business to new heights in 2015:

1. Make Decisions – Set a goal to become a quick decision maker. Remember, money likes speed so your ability to make quick decisions will serve you well in business. Do your research, decide and course-correct along the way.

2. Exercise Empathy – If you have a dream of making a difference in the world or desire a leadership role, empathy is a valuable tool you’ll need along the way. As the great leader Stephan Covey said, “Seek first to understand.” Understanding and acknowledging someone else’s situation is the foundation to change.

When everything feels urgent, everything seems equal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Being “busy” doesn’t necessarily move you closer to reaching your goals. Successful business owners understand you have to work from a clear sense of priority.

The long to-do list can actually lead you away from your goal – not closer to it. Instead of a to-do list for 2015, I invite you to start thinking about a success list. A success list is one that purposefully and mindfully has action items and tasks that are created around ONE big goal you envision for the year. Your success list should be short and sweet with items that take you closer to your goal.

As I review all the success I’ve had in my last 20+ years in business, the common theme that runs through the BIG goals I’ve achieved is a narrow focus and concentration on ONE idea. Let me give you an example. When I started my coaching business 10 years ago, I had a single focus to work with two groups of women in my Women’s Success Circles and take them through my signature system on transition.

At a recent retreat with the members of my Smart Women SOAR Elite program, they had a chance to “rate” different aspects of their business on a scale of 1-10 with one being “Nope, never heard of it” and a ten being “Nailed it.” Together, we focused on the areas that are essential to wildly thriving business success. As one member commented, “It’s like keeping a scorecard on your business.” The key to long lasting business growth is to evaluate periodically what’s working, what’s not working and course correct so that you can continue to gain momentum and accomplish those bigger goals.

Here are five areas to assess in your business now so that 2015 can be the year you soar to a new level of success:

Your Vision and Mission – Is your vision and mission on track for the New Year? You can get off track in your business if you’re vision isn’t laser focused. I refer to this sometimes as “BSOS” or “bright shiny object syndrome.” When new opportunities present themselves, the key is to ask yourself if the new opportunity or new idea relates back to your WHY. Will this opportunity get you closer to your goal? Avoid spinning your wheels on things that don’t get results and opt for a solid plan of action.

When I travel, the first thing I do when I reach my destination is scope out the coffee situation. I’m an early morning gal and I enjoy a hot cup of strong black coffee when I wake up to greet the day. When we arrived in Park City for our family vacation, I noticed the coffee pot in the kitchen was ancient but my thought was “at least I’ll have coffee tomorrow morning.” I stopped by the local Starbucks, picked up my favorite brew, “Komodo Dragon” and marked it off my to-do list.

When I woke the next morning and for several mornings after, I found myself drinking warm (I’m being generous here), terrible tasting coffee. I started making trips to the lone Starbucks in town to satisfy my desire for hot, steamy, coffee.

As I write this, I’m 690 miles from my office in Los Angeles. Actually, I’m in Park City, Utah enjoying a glass of Pinot and writing to you. I’m here on a family vacation getting some much needed rest and a modified digital detox.

One of the benefits I’ve experienced since leaving the office is how creative, clear and laser-quick my mind has become. In retrospect, I can honestly say I’ve never come up with an award winning idea for my business in my office. My best (and most profitable!) ideas typically show up when I’ve given myself permission to step away from daily life. To quote Anthony Robins, “If you want to change your situation, change your environment.”

There’s one slight shift you can make in your daily habits that could reap BIG rewards. In fact, this habit has been linked to better decision-making, creativity, health and even weight-loss. Do you know what it is? Sleep.

Making a commitment (experts say seven to eight hours is preferable) to sleep can create a dramatic impact in every area of your life. In Arianna Hufffington’s new book, “Thrive“, she shares a study from Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine that lack of sleep impacts mood, ability to focus, creativity and generally affects our mental performance. Mental performance is a top requirement for entrepreneurs!

Ever notice when the topic of sleep comes up, the conversation goes something like this: “I only had four hours of sleep last night – working on a big project.” “I had so much work to do that I just couldn’t get to bed before midnight!” Lack of sleep has become a status symbol. If you get too much, somehow this gets translated into: “She doesn’t have enough to do-she’s not busy enough.” Stop the madness. Move away from this mindset.

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